1. Field
The subject invention relates to systems and methods for updating user reviews and, in particular, to systems and methods for creating an opinion timeline.
2. Related Art
The Internet is used for retailers to offer products and services that they are selling and for consumers to purchase those products and services. Many of these sites allow users to review the products they have purchased and/or services that they have used. Independent sites, sites that do not retail the products and services being reviewed (e.g., yelp.com), are also available for users to submit reviews of products and services.
User reviews are representative of a fixed moment in time—that is, they are static in nature. Users typically review products soon after they purchase the product and review services soon after they receive the service. User opinions, however, typically continue to evolve throughout the lifecycle of the product and over the course of the relationship with the service provider. In addition, some products are upgraded to enhance features or otherwise improve the product (e.g., electronics receive upgrades to their internal operating systems, firmware or software).
Some sites allow users to edit their reviews if their opinion changes. These sites, however, do not offer the ability for users to add information to their original review based on ongoing use, while maintaining the original review.